MORGANTOWN — It is pretty obvious that Morgantown volleyball head coach Erica Manor is having an especially effective season of team building — not only are her Mohigans ranked No. 3 in the state heading into the post-season, but she and her husband Michael Sphar are expecting their first child.
Now in her fourth season on the Mohigans’ sideline, the Musselman High School and Liberty University standout has her team poised to make some serious noise at the state tournament.
“We’ve actually had a pretty challenging year with injuries and illness,” Manor admitted, “but those issues have forced us to find new positions for players — we have three excellent setters now — and new ways to play. They say necessity is the mother of invention, and everything that has happened has helped us become the team we are right now. It’s been very rewarding for the coaches and the players.”
For years, Morgantown has been one of the top volleyball programs in the region, but that success hasn’t translated into deep runs beyond the sectionals and regionals, and MHS hopes to change that trend with a process that began back in 2019, Manor’s first year at the helm.
“There has always been talent,” she explained, “but the coaching revolving door spun pretty fast around here for whatever reason. So continuity was an issue, but Abby (Wolfe, MHS varsity assistant coach and JV head coach) and I run the same system, articulate using the same verbiage, and I think we are consistently attracting and keeping more and better athletes in our program.”
Wolfe agreed and pointed to a few special Mohigans that inspired the current group of seniors.
“Alayna Corwin was just so passionate about the sport,” she recalled, “and she recruited lots of players before graduating and moving on to Marshall University. In addition, Ella Voorhees is another girl who came through our system to play at the D1 level at Mississippi Southern. Players of that caliber are always inspirational game-changers for a program.”
Continuing the parade of Mohigans playing at the next level, senior Paige Brock has secured a scholarship at Murray State next year, and the emotional leader has an idea why her team has jumped to a higher level this season.
“Four years ago, we were good,” Brock recalled. “We had a lot of good players, but we didn’t really have a culture of winning. Now, that expectation is really strong, and our team is really, really close. We have a leadership council now, where we figure out ways to solve issues and strengthen our team bonding. I know that we are all really connecting with the freshmen, which is a great way to keep the program strong for the future.
“The coaching staff is just awesome,” she continued. “Coach Abby keeps us aware of our mental health, and she helps with all the stats and scouting, while Coach Erica is focused on skills and motivation. We’re all just very comfortable with everyone, and it helps us get better every match.”
Fellow senior Erika Jenkins agrees that team chemistry has ramped up a huge amount, but preparation is making a big difference as well.
“We all trust each other’s opinions,” she said, “so there’s zero drama when someone has constructive criticism, even if it’s a little bit tough. We can hold each other accountable without taking it personally, and that is a big part to getting better every day. Plus, we all love the sport and each other, so spending more time together off the court has been great. Our coaches have done a lot of scouting and stats, so we feel like we know our opponent’s tendencies before we even start the match, and that gives us a major advantage.”
Junior Kaitlyn Anderson sees accountability and high standards playing a key role up and down the bench.
“With all of our injuries, we’ve needed JV players to step up, and they’ve fit right in,” she said. “That experience will help so much in the future, but it also helps right now, because they are able to push all of us in practice to be better. If you have to compete to keep your spot, you’ll practice better, work harder, and it raises the standards for everyone. I think it’s made a big difference this season.”
For Manor, this season has been simultaneously special — and all part of the plan.
“I’d say we’re pretty much on track for where we wanted to be, and what we expected from this group,” she smiled. “The fact that we completed our OVAC 5-A Championship three-peat was very special and historic for the league and our school. We’ve played a very challenging schedule (only four of MHS’s six losses have come from WV schools) which we hope will prepare us well for the top-level competition we hope to get a chance to face at states.
“All year, we’ve kept on a ‘get 2% better every practice’ and a ‘next point, next game’ mentality,” she concluded, “and it has been successful so far. Anything’s possible, and we just want to keep adding one more match to our schedule and see where that takes us.”
When asked about Morgantown’s tournament prospects, Brock’s eyes and smile widened.
“We are confident,” she stated firmly, “and we think we have a pretty good chance to do really well. Everybody wants it BAD. We all feel like this is the season, this is our time, this is our chance, and we’re not gonna waste it.”
Morgantown claimed a section title earlier this week by defeating Brooke and Wheeling Park in the Region 1, Section 1 tournament on Tuesday. The Mohigans will play for a Region title, and a trip to the state tournament, Saturday morning on their home court against cross-town rival University in the region 1 semifinal round.
By Mark Schraf
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